LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Group of Malawians under the banner Concerned Citizens on Friday, July 3, 2020 urged President Lazarus Chakwera to desist from elements of political witch-hunting and unlawful arrests on leadership’s opponents.
The grouping observed with concerns on the nation slowly being subverted into a land of political persecution, witch hunting and harassment.
In a press statement signed by the grouping’s Chairperson, Philip Kamangirah made available to The Maravi Post says;
“We have witnessed some arrests that we feel are political in nature and this should have negative impact on our hard earned democracy.
“We may not rule out any possibility of more arrests as we go on. If your government chooses to arrest people due to their Political alignment and ethnic background, then to us this is not just barbaric in nature but also a serious threat to democracy,”
Kamangirah urges, “It is therefore proper to call for your leadership to make sure we don’t orchestrate any political violence as we struggle to improve the livelihoods of common Malawians.
“Malawians are patiently waiting for the promises made during the campaign and see how best such good plans shall be executed’.
Below is below is the full statement:
“TIME TO DEFEND OUR DEMOCRACY FROM CAPTURE BY ELEMENTS OF VIOLENCE, POLITICAL WITCH-HUNTING AND UNLAWFUL HARASSMENT”
We members of the Concerned Citizens would like to first of all congratulate His Excellency the State President of the Republic of Malawi Dr. Lazarus Chakwera for being elected as the th President and the Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima respectively following the Fresh
Presidential Elections that were held on the 23rd, June 2020.
The Republic of Malawi is a country that was founded on the principles of democracy, justice, inclusive development and security for all Malawians following democratic transition in 1994.
However, the historic Fresh Presidential Elections victory you attained reflects on the democratic clock that strikes more than 25 years in the multiparty dispensation.
We are therefore calling for sustained coexistence of peace, political tolerance, and a continued atmosphere to embrace non-violent approaches, political witch hunting and harassment in our collective pursuit for a developmentally-driven democratic state.
We saw Malawians celebrating your Excellency’s victory, we heard sirens blaring, and homes empty as people filled the streets with dance and hope.
Your Excellency Sir, it is not on parties and politics, rules or regulations, celebrations or appointments, democracy and leadership is about people and their aspirations.
It is about people standing together for their liberty, for their values, simply for a better future. We believe in working for something because it is good and not just because it stands a chance to succeed.
We believe that in the next five years, our union as a country will embark together on a transformation which will touch every part of our society and of our economy.
Mr. President, We note with sadness that our nation is slowly being subverted into a land of political persecution, witch hunting and harassment.
We have witnessed some arrests that we feel are political in nature and this should have negative impact on our hard earned democracy.
We may not rule out any possibility of more arrests as we go on. If your government chooses to arrest people due to their Political alignment and ethnic background, then to us this is not just barbaric in nature but also a serious threat to democracy.
We are of the view that people should be arrested and charged because they committed a crime that can even be proved in a court of law as opposed to their political affiliation.
It is therefore proper to call for your leadership to make sure we don’t orchestrate any political violence as we struggle to improve the livelihoods of common Malawians.
Malawians are patiently waiting for the promises made during the campaign and see how best such good plans shall be executed.
In our unstoppable struggle to protect the Constitution, we shall stand and continue defending our democracy unconditionally without being intimidated in any way by any political grouping, and that we shall galvanize our efforts until sanity is restored in our beloved country, and until peace as well as stability return in our society.
We wish you all the best as we strive to peacefully move as a country.
God bless Malawi
Signed
Philip Kamangirah
CHAIRPERSON
CONCERNED CITIZENS